Now, you want to be sure that you aren’t overwhelming your hair with too many protein-rich products, as that can lead to dry, brittle strands (it’s a delicate balance; read up on protein overload here), so be sure to check your other products before adding a protein hair mask—if you see buzzwords like keratin, biotin, hydrolyzed quinoa, amino acids, bond-building, or silk protein on your hair care labels, that’s a pretty good sign you’re dealing with a protein treatment.
Want to baby your strands back to life? Here’s a carefully curated list of the best nourishing hair masks for each hair type and occasion, all mbg staffer approved.